Dongpo Township is the southernmost town in Donggu District, with a population of over 25,000. The road and traffic conditions are very poor, with only one road leading to the Dongpo Township government, and it ends there. The two daily bus trips in the morning and evening are the only fixed means of transportation for the township officials who live in the county town to maintain communication with the outside world.
Just in Dongpo Township, over 400 acres of wasteland have been used to plant kiwi fruit. In the subsequent kiwi fruit incident, nearly 100 households in Dongpo Township became the main force in petitioning and causing trouble.
Shen Zile, accompanied by the Party Secretary of Donggu District, Liang Hua, was conducting a survey on the agricultural production situation in Dongpo and Erdaoya Townships this year. The growth of major spring crops was promising, but the low grain prices still made the township officials feel disheartened. The decline in grain prices meant that the income growth of the people was weak, and the lack of money in the people's pockets also meant that the township government officials had to work harder to collect agricultural taxes and unified levies, and would face more resistance.
"Liang, with the current low grain prices, the district and each township should consider more structural adjustments, guiding farmers to develop sideline industries such as animal husbandry. In Donggu, crops like corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes have a considerable yield, and we should actively guide the people to engage in pig and poultry farming, and develop cage and flowing water fish farming to effectively increase the net income of farmers."
Shen Zile sat in the somewhat dilapidated meeting room of the township government, where two ceiling fans were whirring at their highest speed, and all four windows were wide open, but the heat was still oppressive.
"Additionally, the national economy is in an adjustment period this year, which may affect the surplus rural labor force's ability to work outside. However, I predict that the economic situation will improve to some extent next year, and we should actively promote the surplus labor force to work outside to increase income."
"Secretary Shen, you know the situation in Donggu. The conditions of enterprises in each township are not good, and there are no resources, so the fiscal situation is weak, and the development of industry is difficult. Moreover, the local people are conservative and unwilling to leave, so it will take a lot of effort to change the mindset of the farmers."
Liang Hua, an old district party secretary, had been in the position of Party Secretary of Donggu District for more than four years and was well aware of the situation in each township.
"The party committees and governments of each township in the district are aware of the need to adjust their thinking. For example, the three townships of Dongpo, Erdaoya, and Huoshan in our district have planted 400 to 600 acres of kiwi fruit. It is said that this fruit is very popular in foreign countries and big cities, and the price is good. This year, the kiwi fruit will bear fruit, and we hope to use this opportunity to promote the development of diversified operations in our district and further increase the net income of farmers."
"Oh? Liang, how much kiwi fruit has been planted in Donggu, and what is the estimated yield this year?" Shen Zile's heart stirred slightly. Lu Weimin had once reminded him to follow market rules when guiding the planting of special fruits and vegetables, and not to act on assumptions, otherwise, it would be a heavy price to pay.
Kiwi fruit is a new thing, and everyone is unfamiliar with it. Whether it can sell for a good price is still a big question.
"Secretary Shen, kiwi fruit is called yangtao here. There were wild ones before, but they didn't taste good. Two years ago, the region strongly promoted this, and the county chose Donggu and Baita as pilot areas. They provided free seedlings and technical guidance from the regional agricultural bureau, so we planted it. In Donggu, the three townships of Dongpo, Erdaoya, and Huoshan have planted about 400 acres, 200 acres, and 200 acres respectively. In Baita, the two townships together have about 700 acres, and they should bear fruit this year. I heard that two townships in Mawei also tried planting some last year, and they will bear fruit the year after next."
Liang Hua, who started as a deputy township head in agriculture, rose step by step to become the township head, then the town head and party secretary of Donggu, and finally the district party secretary. He had been working in the grassroots for over 20 years and was very familiar with the agricultural situation in each township. Although Shen Zile's questions went beyond the scope of today's survey, he answered them fluently.
"As for the yield, we are not quite sure. The people from the regional agricultural bureau said that, based on the current planting density and soil conditions, the initial yield per acre would be between 250 and 400 kilograms. In the following years, when it enters the peak fruiting period, it could reach 500 to 800 kilograms. But I have discounted it, and calculated it at 200 kilograms per acre. For the 400 acres in Donggu, the estimated yield would be around 200,000 kilograms. The total yield for the entire county would be around 350,000 kilograms."
"200,000 kilograms for Donggu? 350,000 kilograms for the entire county?" Shen Zile was surprised. To be honest, he had heard of kiwi fruit, but even in the provincial capital Changzhou, it was not very common. This means that the acceptance of kiwi fruit by the people is still unknown. Now, with a production of over 350,000 kilograms, who will consume it?
"Liang, have you conducted any market research on the sales of kiwi fruit?" Shen Zile was a bit anxious, but he did not want to show it to the people below. "Do people like to eat it?"
"Secretary Shen, we can't really conduct research on this. After all, this is the first year it will bear fruit. Who knows how it will taste? I have tasted the wild yangtao before, and it didn't taste good. It is said that this batch of kiwi fruit is an excellent variety obtained by the regional agricultural bureau and the provincial agricultural research institute from the Ministry of Agriculture, and it tastes good. But we are not sure yet. As for the market, the regional agricultural bureau and the county government say that consumers in foreign countries and big cities are very interested in this fruit. They say it is rich in vitamins and nutrients and should be very popular." Liang Hua said indifferently, "I think the experts wouldn't deceive the farmers, right?"
"Should be very popular? The experts only said it is rich in vitamins and nutrients, but did they guarantee the sales? Have you really understood the market conditions?" Shen Zile's brows began to furrow. This kind of subjective assumption without any market research is worthless. How could the people from the regional agricultural bureau and the county agricultural bureau know the acceptance level of the market for this fruit? As Lu Weimin had mentioned, such blind optimism without practical verification is very dangerous and could lead to serious problems.
Shen Zile subconsciously glanced at Lu Weimin, who was sitting in the corner quietly taking notes, and tried to calm himself down.
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